Rob Griffith, Associated Press fileA ribbon of oil snakes away on the surface from the Chinese-registered bulk coal carrier Shen Neng 1, off the coast of Rockhampton, Australia. The coal carrier that ran aground and leaked about 3 tons of oil on the Great Barrier Reef was refloated Monday, April 12,Kristen Gelineau, Associated Press writer

SYDNEY, Australia — Australian police arrested a Chinese ship captain and senior officer Wednesday and charged them with damaging the Great Barrier Reef, more than a week after their coal carrier ran aground and tore a two-mile gash in the protected area.

The Shen Neng 1 veered out of a shipping lane and slammed into the reef on April 3, possibly smearing the coral with toxic paint that could prevent marine life from growing back. Even in the best-case scenario, experts said the damage could take 20 years to heal.

Coral shredded the ship's hull, causing it to leak 2-3 tons of fuel oil. Most of the oil was dispersed by a chemical spray and did little or no damage to the reef itself, but officials said Wednesday that they believe some of it has begun to wash up on the beaches of a wildlife sanctuary.

The Great Barrier Reef is a World Heritage site because of its gleaming waters and environmental value as home to thousands of marine species. The accident occurred in the southern tip of the reef, which is not the main tourism hub.

The Australian Federal Police said the ship's captain and the chief officer on watch during the accident would appear in court Thursday.

"Investigations showed that the Shen Neng 1 failed to turn at a waypoint (a specific latitude and longitude) required by the intended course of the ship," the police said in a statement.

The 47-year-old shipmaster was charged with liability for a vessel causing damage in a marine park, an offense that carries a maximum 55,000 Australian dollar ($51,200) fine. The 44-year-old chief officer is charged with being in charge of the vessel when it caused the damage, and faces up to three years in prison and a fine of up to AU$220,000.

The police said officers executed a search warrant on the ship on Wednesday. It was not clear what they were looking for.

The ship's owners, Shenzen Energy Transport, said last week they were cooperating with the investigation.

Su Zengdong, the chief manager of TOSCO-KEYMAX, which is in charge of the vessel's technical management, said Wednesday that the company was "fully cooperating with the Australian side in the investigation and pollution control." He had no further comment.

The 755-foot (230-meter) ship was successfully lifted off the reef Monday after crews spent three days removing its fuel to lighten it. Salvage crews later towed it to an anchorage area near Great Keppel Island, 45 miles away.

Before it was removed, tides and currents repeatedly pushed the ship along the reef, cutting a scar 1.9 miles long and up to 820 feet wide into the coral.

Great Barrier Reef Marine Park AuthorityA diver surveys damage to the Great Barrier Reef caused by the Chinese coal carrier Shen Neng 1 after the ship was removed. Along with the damage to the coral, reef globules of oil believed to be from the ship are washing up on a nearby wildlife sanctuary, officials said Wednesday.Paint from the hull, used to prevent marine life from growing on it, was also smeared into the reef. Certain paints contain chemicals prevent growth, while others simply act as a barrier. Experts are analyzing paint samples to determine if it is the more toxic variety.

"There is more damage to this reef than I have ever seen in any previous Great Barrier Reef groundings," Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority chief scientist David Wachenfeld said Tuesday.

In some areas, "all marine life has been completely flattened and the structure of the shoal has been pulverized by the weight of the vessel," he added.

Globules of oil believed to be from the ship have washed ashore on North West Island, a turtle hatchery and bird sanctuary, said Adam Nicholson, a maritime safety spokesman for the northeastern state of Queensland.

Teams began Wednesday to clean up the globules, which were about an inch wide, and were scattered across about a half-mile of beach.

SYDNEY — Globules of oil believed to be from a Chinese ship that slammed into Australia's Great Barrier Reef are washing up on a nearby wildlife sanctuary, officials said Wednesday in the latest environmental fallout from the crash.

The Shen Neng 1 coal carrier veered into protected waters and ran aground on Douglas Shoal on April 3, immediately leaking 2-3 tons of fuel when coral shredded its hull. The vessel tore a 2-mile- long gash into the shoal, causing damage that one leading marine scientist said could take up to 20 years to heal.

On Wednesday, a team of about 25 people was working to clean up bits of oil that had begun washing ashore on North West Island, a turtle hatchery and bird sanctuary about 12 miles (18 kilometers) from where the ship crashed into the reef, said Adam Nicholson, a maritime safety spokesman for the northeastern state of Queensland.

The globules were about an inch wide, and were scattered across about a half-mile of beach on the island, the second largest coral key on the reef.

Officials had not officially confirmed the oil came from the Shen Neng, but suspected it had, given its proximity to the grounding site, Nicholson said. The cleanup was expected to be relatively quick, because the oil is confined to a small area, he said.

Queensland Transport Minister Rachel Nolan told Parliament on Wednesday that an aerial inspection of the island showed the oil spill was isolated.

"Initial reports are that it is a very small amount — but we remain vigilant," she said.

The 755-foot (230-meter) Shen Neng 1 was successfully lifted off the reef Monday after crews spent three days pumping fuel to lighten it. Salvage crews later towed it to an anchorage area near Great Keppel Island, 45 miles away.

Its refloating left a scar 1.9 miles long and up to 820 feet (250 meters) wide.

"There is more damage to this reef than I have ever seen in any previous Great Barrier Reef groundings," Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority chief scientist David Wachenfeld said Tuesday.

Most of the oil that first leaked from the hull was quickly dispersed by chemical sprays and is believed to have caused little or no damage.

The Great Barrier Reef is a World Heritage site because of its gleaming waters and environmental value as home to thousands of marine species. The accident occurred in the southern tip of the reef, which is not the main tourism hub.

The reef was hit particularly badly because the vessel did not stay in one place once it grounded, Wachenfeld said. Instead, tides and currents pushed it along the reef, crushing and smearing potentially toxic paint onto coral and plants, he said.

In some areas, "all marine life has been completely flattened and the structure of the shoal has been pulverized by the weight of the vessel," Wachenfeld said, speaking of the fragile coral and the plants that may have inhabited the area.

Even if severe toxic contamination is not found at the site, initial assessments by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority indicate it could take 20 years for the coral reef to recover, Wachenfeld said.

Perhaps most concerning to the scientists is the chemical makeup of the paint used on the ship's hull, which divers have found spread across the vast majority of the impacted region.

Many oceangoing vessels are covered in what is known as "anti-fouling" paint, which prevents marine life from growing on their hulls and creating drag. Certain paints contain chemicals that prevent such growth, while others simply act as a barrier.

Scientists with the reef authority plan to analyze paint left by the Shen Neng to see if it contains heavy metals. If it does, Wachenfeld said, it would not only kill the marine life on the shoal, but prevent new life from colonizing there.

It will be at least another week before the full extent of the damage is known.

Australian authorities are investigating alleged breaches of law connected with the accident. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has since warned that cargo ships entering restricted waters would face the full force of the law.

The ship's owners, Shenzen Energy Transport, said last week they were cooperating with the investigation. They said the ship was traveling through a legal channel when it inexplicably failed to turn eastward to avoid the shoal.

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